


Five Nights at Freddy's-A New Beginning

by MarimbaBuddy



Series: Five Nights at Freddy's-Novel Series Continuation (FANFIC) [2]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Awkward Dates, Eventual Relationships, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26180599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarimbaBuddy/pseuds/MarimbaBuddy
Summary: Two months after the events of "The Nightmare House," Sam and Kyle continue to ease back into normal life in Chicago and Sam is visited by a close friend. With the traumatic events of the past still lingering, Sam takes a leap of faith as he braves the next step of his recovery process.
Relationships: Sammy Emily/Jessica
Series: Five Nights at Freddy's-Novel Series Continuation (FANFIC) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1901248
Comments: 1





	Five Nights at Freddy's-A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chexpet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chexpet/gifts).



> This is a one-shot that was recommended by a commenter on "The Nightmare House" (formerly known as "A Brother's Bond"). It deals with some aftermath in the lives of our two new main characters, Sam and Kyle. I hope you enjoy it.

"We'll get through this," Sam told Jessica, placing a hand on her shoulder. The confidence in his voice surprised him, but deep down, he knew it to be true, or at least he hoped. "I know we will. And if any of us are going to be the one to help pull others through, it's you. You're a strong woman."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his head. "And don't you ever forget it," she said playfully. He laughed, and before he could say anything in return, she leaned forward and planted a solid kiss on his cheek. His eyes went wide. He remembered the first time Cyndi had kissed him like that. He remembered how he thought he'd scored big. Being a young, naive teenager at the time who thought he'd found love, his excitement and stomach butterflies had trumped nearly all of his common sense, leading to a rushed and shallow relationship and all of the heartache that came with it. But this was different. As his heart pounded with joy in his chest, he felt a strange feeling of comfort envelop him. Jessica wasn't Cyndi. She was Jessica, someone who actually cared about him rather than what he may or may not be in the future. He admired her courage and her determination to do what was right. In the short time they'd known each other, they'd opened up to each other about so many personal memories. He trusted her, and he could tell by the way she looked at him that she felt the same.

"Sorry," he said apologetically as he noticed the confused look in her eyes. "I'm...not sure what to say."

"It's okay," she said, wrapping him in another tight embrace. "Stay safe."

He smiled. "You, too."

* * *

_Two Months Later..._

He sat quietly in his bedroom, fiddling away on his guitar. He'd sat down about an hour ago with the honest intention of finishing the final verse of the new song he'd been working on for the last few months. However, writer's block had set in and his mind had been wandering. He couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to see her again. Would it bring those same feelings of connection and comfort or would it just be a reminder of the horrible events that had nearly consumed him? He would find out soon enough. Tonight was the night that she would be stopping by on her way home for the summer.

He was startled by a loud knocking at the door.

"Sam?" It was Kyle.

"Yeah?"

"May I come in?"

Sam still couldn't help but be taken aback. It had been two months since they'd returned from Hurricane, but the effects from their journey still lingered, one being Kyle's playful behavior taken down several notches, like when he knocked on Sam's door.

"Yeah, come in."

The door opened and Kyle stepped in, dressed in an undershirt and jeans and holding up two tux shirts, one plain white and the other with a smaller collar.

"Which of these do you think will make me seem more... _sophisticated_?"

Sam laughed. "Since when do you care about looking sophisticated?"

"Since this is my first public recognition dinner!" Kyle shot back with a smile of his own. "Speaking of which, why aren't _you_ dressed yet?"

Sam's smile dropped as he turned to look at his alarm clock. It was about ten to four. With a cry of panic, he shot up and began rummaging through his closet. He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he'd completely lost track of time. She said she'd be here around six o'clock and he wanted to be ready. He scanned through his nicer shirts before settling on a button-down plaid shirt his mother had bought for him a few years ago. Kyle watched with amusement.

"Somebody looks nervous," he said.

"I'm not nervous," said Sam defensively. "I'm just...you know...wanting to make a good impression is all."

"But you already know her."

"Not that well," he said. "We've only known each other for two months, and that was mostly long-distance contact. This is the first time we're actually going out for dinner."

"Yeah, I got you," said Kyle, chuckling. He loved seeing Sam flustered like this because it reminded him that no one's perfect, a lesson he knew very well. It still amazed him how their trip to Hurricane had turned the tables of their friendship. After all the years of looking up to Sam, wanting to be more calm and mature like him, a day spent in that place of mental anguish had completely flipped their worlds upside down, played with the rules of what was real and what wasn't, and changed so much of what they thought they knew about themselves. Kyle had always considered himself unworthy of their friendship while Sam was more level headed and self-dependent, but all of that changed that day thanks to Fazbear's Fright. His smile faded as the memories began to come flooding back.

"Hey, Sam?"

"Hmm?" said Sam as he began buttoning his shirt.

"Do you still see them?"

Sam stopped and looked at his friend. "See what?"

"You know, those _visions_ from that place?"

Their eyes remained locked. Although Kyle attempted simple curiosity in the question, Sam could clearly detect the fear hidden deep down.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. "I try not to think about them, but sometimes at night they-"

"Follow you into your dreams?" Kyle guessed, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "What visions do you see?"

Kyle winced, making Sam realize immediately what it was.

"Johnny Wilhelm?" he asked.

Kyle nodded. "It was so real like it was happening all over again." He scoffed. "And right when I was beginning to forget about it, too. You know how they say memories fade over time? Well, I don't think that the memories themselves fade. I mean, I'll always remember that night, but it's the intensity that fades, the emotions that you feel, you know?"

Sam nodded. He knew exactly what that felt like, even though some of his own visions were nothing but hallucinations induced by a sinister demon trying to kill him in hopelessness and despair.

"I know it was just in my mind," Kyle went on, "but I don't think I've felt more adrenaline, anger, or fear since it actually happened. Whatever those things were that Afton made, those 'fear stimulants' or whatever, they really worked. Granted, all I needed to lose my mind was that terrifying kid jumping at me screaming its head off."

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, those things were creepy."

"And that _thing_ ," Kyle continued. "That _creature_...or whatever it was." He shuddered. "I'm never gonna forget that face for as long as I live."

Sam nodded. With his most of his memories of that building associated more with Nightmare, he'd almost completely forgotten about the nightmarish animatronic that he'd encountered in those dark hallways first. Though they'd been back home for a couple of months, they never really talked about it much out of fear that it would reopen the unpleasant mental scars.

Kyle sighed and rubbed his head.

"You alright?"

"I dunno," said Kyle. "You paid more attention in psychology than I did. Do you know if there's any scientific reason why I always get headaches when I start thinking about that place?"

Sam shrugged. "I didn't pay _that_ much attention. Your guess is as good as mine."

A small knocking came from the apartment door. Sam's breathing hitched slightly and Kyle smiled.

"Gee, I wonder who that could possibly be?" he said.

Sam brushed past his friend and walked to the door, his heart pounding harder with each step. He briefly wondered what she would be wearing and if he was underdressed.

He finally reached the doorknob and opened the door slowly. There in the doorway, she stood, dressed in a white blouse and a dark blue skirt with a pair of black pumps. Her hair was shoulder-length, noticeably shorter than when he last saw her, and just enough makeup to accentuate her bright eyes and beaming smile.

"Hi, Sam," she said.

He smiled back. "Hello, Jessica." He gestured her in and she entered, wiping her feet on the mat. They looked at each other for a few seconds before wrapping each other in a tight embrace. He almost coughed. He'd forgotten how tight her grip was. They broke apart and he welcomed her to the rest of the apartment.

"This is nice!" she commented as she entered the living room.

"Yeah, it's a home...for now," said Sam awkwardly.

"Well, I think it looks very roomy!" said Jessica as she strode around the room, observing the surroundings closely. Sam followed her, fighting back his nerves.

 _She's a friend_ , he reminded himself. _A friend who's here for a nice visit. She's not going to judge you._

"How was the flight?" he asked her.

"Long and boring," she said, "but it's always like that when you're traveling across the country. Fortunately, I'm going back to New York in a week, so I won't have to go back to Utah until late August."

She stopped in front of the mantle and stared up at the new painting that had been placed there a few weeks before.

"Ooh, is this new?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Sam, standing beside her as he looked up at his mother's newest work. "Mom started it right after we got back."

It was a painting of himself and Charlie as young kids playing mindlessly on the floor while both parents stood above them laughing. The background was a simple shade of yellow-orange, which he found to be a rather fitting way of showing the ambiguity of the scene. It wasn't anything too extravagant. In fact, it was one of her simpler works, but it still held a place of comfort in his heart.

"I like it," said Jessica. "It looks very realistic."

"That was her goal," said Sam. "She wanted it to be a reminder. You know, the good times we had."

They heard footsteps behind them and saw Kyle walking out of the bedroom adjusting the bowtie of his tuxedo. When he saw Jessica, he gave a bow.

"Good evening, miss," he said. "How may I be of service?"

Jessica laughed and walked over for a hug. "How've you been, Kyle?"

"Honestly, both better and worse than I thought," said Kyle with a small smile. "It's hard to forget everything that happened, but I'm doing my best."

"Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, you guys have all of our numbers. I think Carlton still has the number of this therapist, who I think does phone sessions."

"Thanks," said Kyle. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So what's the occasion?" she asked, studying him.

"I've got a fancy dinner with my parents' company tonight," he said. "I'm being recognized for flying a thousand miles."

"I didn't realize they had dinners just for that."

"Typically not, but it's not every day that the owners' child achieves such a success. Truth be told, I think it's all a little over the top, but after what we went through, I'm learning to be grateful to have parents who love me. They even insisted that they pick me up. They should be here-"

A loud knocking at the door rang through the apartment.

"-right about now," said Kyle, recognizing his father's heavy knock. He walked over to the door and opened it and was immediately wrapped in a strong embrace by a tall woman in an elegant black dress that went to her knees.

"Mom, you're crushing me," said Kyle as he patted her on the back.

She pulled back and looked at him solemnly. "I'm your mother. I'm allowed to nearly crush your lungs on your special day."

Kyle rolled his eyes and greeted his dad, who was dressed in a similar tuxedo and who also pulled him into a hug as his mother turned to Sam.

"How are you doing, Sam?" she asked.

"Fine," said Sam.

"Oh, who is this?"

"This is Jessica...a friend. She stopped in for a visit."

"Oh, how lovely. It's nice to meet you."

"You, too, Mrs. Jackson," said Jessica.

"So how long have the two of you been going out?" Mrs. Jackson asked.

"Martha!" called her husband. "Let's not embarrass the young gentleman on his date." He gave Sam a wink, causing Sam to glance nervously at the floor while fighting back a blush.

"It's not a date, perse," said Sam.

"Ah, I get it. Just a visit," said Mr. Jackson, clearing his throat. "Well, in any case, have fun, Sam. We need to get going, anyway."

"Dear, we still have time," said Mrs. Jackson. "I don't want to rush out while the wind is still blowing."

"I know, but I promised Reggie we'd be there by quarter to five to go over a few things. Are you ready, son?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," said Kyle.

"Good man," said Mr. Jackson. "Let's get going."

"You go ahead. Just let me grab something from my bedroom real quick," said Kyle.

"Peter, did you remember to grab your speech notes in case you forget something?" Mrs. Jackson asked on the way out.

"When have I ever forgotten a speech?" said Mr. Jackson, giving Sam and Jessica a wave as the couple disappeared into the hallway. Kyle reappeared from his bedroom carrying a small handkerchief which he stuffed haphazardly into his pocket.

"It's for safe-keeping," Kyle explained to them. "My mom kisses me a lot with her bright lipstick, and my dad has a friend who spits a little when he talks. I need to be prepared."

"Have fun," said Sam.

"You, too," Kyle said with a smile. He pointed his finger in an instructing way. "Now remember, don't talk about yourself too much. And whatever you do, don't tell her you love her. That always ruins first dates."

"Oh, shut up and go!" said Sam, cringing as he heard Jessica stifle a giggle.

"Hey, I'm only trying to help you not grow old and alone with someone as _successful_ as me having to keep you company."

"Just go!"

Kyle chuckled and waved goodbye, closing the door behind him.

"Why is everyone making such a big deal about this?" Jessica asked.

"I don't really get out that much," said Sam. "I had a girlfriend a few years ago, but it didn't end that well. And now that I'm taking another woman out to dinner, everyone's excited."

"Kyle's parents really do seem to be quite fond of you," said Jessica, recalling what Kyle had told them the night they found out the truth about Charlie.

"Yeah, well, he's their only son who wasn't a planned child, so they're grateful for me being there for him all these years."

Jessica gave a small _hmph_. "So where are we going?"

"Do you like Italian food?"

"Love it."

"There's a place a few blocks away."

"Great. Let's go!"

* * *

The local Italian cuisine restaurant was unusually crowded for a Thursday night, though not unbearable. After about fifteen minutes, they were seated at a table for two with a lit candle in the middle.

"Well, isn't this strangely romantic?" said Jessica.

"It's the ambiance," said Sam as the waiter placed their glasses of water in front of them and walked away. "They like to be fancy any way they can. To be honest, the food's pretty average."

She looked at him curiously, making him grow nervous.

"I mean, not that it's not good," he said quickly. "I wouldn't take you to any dull restaurant after you've traveled all this way. It's just, you know, not the _fanciest_ place, either, 'cause I can't really afford anything like that right now."

She smiled and giggled softly. Sam felt his forehead grow hotter. _You idiot! Why are you making such a fool of yourself? Just shut up!_

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not usually like this. Maybe it's just the summer heat."

"Don't be," she said, taking a drink from her glass. "In fact, you actually remind me a lot of Charlie when you do that."

Silence fell between them. Given that this was their first face-to-face meeting in two months, many things from those days together in Hurricane were simmering in the back of their minds like a pot of soup readying itself for consumption. However, the mere mention of Charlie's name was what finally broke the ice. Neither of them knew where to begin with her, how to voice their thoughts on the progress they were making on their journey of recovery. The silence continued for what felt like hours until the waiter returned to take their order. Sam ordered a plate of lasagne and Jessica just asked for a bowl of plain noodles.

"I'm not that hungry," she told him when he gave her a questioning look, and he nodded.

"So where did you say your aunt lives again?" he asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Not far," she said. "She actually just moved in downstate. That's why I'm in the area, to help her unpack some stuff and spend time with her."

"That's nice," he said. "So when are you leaving?"

"Tonight," she said apologetically. "I'd love to stay longer, but I promised her I'd be there later."

"Well, I'm glad you stopped by," said Sam, tapping the table nervously.

"Me, too. It's good to see you again. I've been looking forward to this ever since you left Hurricane."

"How's everyone doing?" he asked.

"Well, Carlton's finally walking at somewhat normal speed again. Clay says he should be back to normal within the month, according to his doctors."

"That's good," said Sam.

"Lamar's still doing well in school. Have you heard from him at all?"

"Not yet."

"Well, Marla talked to him. He's still planning on popping in for a visit sometime if you're interested. Marla's back in therapy. She's still struggling to cope with the news about Charlie, but she'll get through it. She's not the type of person who let's bad news keep her down forever, as I'm sure you noticed."

Sam chucked. "Yeah, I did. What about John?"

Jessica's face fell. "We haven't really seen him much. I don't know what's been going on with him, but the last time we spoke was a few weeks ago. He called me saying that he was moving out of his apartment and heading east. He wouldn't tell me where, but he said it's something that he feels he needs to do."

Sam didn't know what to say. Aside from Jessica, he missed John the most. The connection that they shared was also very close. He wondered what John could possibly be up to, but given his determined nature, chances are it was something important. Thinking back to the night in the hospital, Sam briefly wondered if Charlie had anything to do with before dismissing the thought.

By the time the food had arrived, Sam and Jessica had resorted to small talk, what their plans for the summer were and what movies and entertainment there was in the area. Declining a fancy dessert, Sam paid for them both, a gesture that Jessica insisted was unnecessary, and the two of them headed back to his apartment.

They sat together on his living room couch making more small talk and sipping water from bottles when she looked back up at the portrait above the mantle.

"How have you been holding up?" asked Sam, noticing her gaze and realizing he hadn't asked about her earlier.

She gave a sad sigh. "I've been much better," she said.

Sam nodded, not sure what to say.

"It just pains me," said Jessica, "thinking about Charlie, and how much pain and anguish she's been through these last few years. I can't even imagine what it was like for her when she found out the truth about herself. She must have felt awful." She wiped her eyes. "I just wish I could've been there for her to help her, to make everything okay. I just want her to be alright."

Sam placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him with wet eyes and wrapped herself around him, beginning to cry softly into his shoulder. He held her firmly, comforting her.

"I miss her, too," he said. "I would've loved to have been able to spend time with her while she was still here, but at least I got to be there for you guys, and I know that's exactly what she wants."

And then it hit him. _The pocket watch_. For the last two months, he'd kept it a secret, not sure what to do about it. Yet sitting here with Charlie's best friend crying into his shoulder, he scolded himself for the decision. That watch was proof that what he saw that night in the hospital wasn't just a dream, and here he was not telling anyone else about it?

"Hold on a sec," he told her, getting up and walking into his bedroom. He pulled the watch out of the nightstand drawer, where it had been kept out of sight since his return, and walked back into the living room. She was about to ask what was going on when she saw something in his hand.

"What is that?" she asked.

Sam handed it to her and she opened it. She was taken aback by not only the lack of a watch inside, but also by the lovely picture of him and Charlie as kids. Her eyes even began to tear up when she read the engraving inside: _"No greater love there be than a father and his children see."_ She looked up at him, absolutely aghast.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Charlie gave it to me."

Her eyes lit up in hope and confusion. "Really? When?"

"That night in the hospital," said Sam. "Remember I told you and the others that I saw her? Even I wasn't sure whether or not it was real, but apparently it was."

She looked back down at the watch in her hands and studied it carefully. It looked like a completely average pocket watch. It was astonishing to think that something so simple would end up being proof of someone's existence, but that was life. When she was young and wanted to get something fancy to wear that was a little too expensive, her mother would always counter her whines by reminding her that sometimes the simpler things tell a better story. She hadn't ever really taken the time to really think that through until now. She looked back up at Sam.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice growing a little stern. "Why didn't you tell _us_ back at the hospital?"

"I'd forgotten all about it," said Sam truthfully. "Everything happened so fast that I didn't remember it until the way home." He looked at the floor with guilt starting to rush in.

"I'm sorry," she said, still befuddled by the revelation. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just this is so...wow." She wanted to be happy. After all, she just found out that her best friend was, in fact, okay and with her father somewhere in a better place, but the shock of the news was too fresh for any reality to really sink in. She'd spent so many nights lying awake wondering about Charlie, both before and after Sam came. When Sam left, he left another impact on her, a sense that someone important to her had left her behind. She thought back to all of those moments with Charlie: at Freddy's, in the dorm together, and elsewhere. She remembered all of the times they'd made each other smile and laugh. Despite their differences, she being more social and Charlie being more introverted, there was always a special connection between the two of them, a bond of close friendship that could never be broken. And now, Charlie was gone, taken by a call to set things right with her soul, but by a miracle, here was her twin brother, who had so much of his sister in him. He was kind, intelligent, caring, and funny, and whenever Jessica locked eyes with him, she felt that strange connection that she had with Charlie, albeit in a slightly different way.

Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Jessica had been silently staring at him for a few minutes, and he was growing more concerned with every passing second.

_Do I have food on my face? She would've said something, though, right?_

He saw her look down at the couch with a sad look on her face.

 _Do something_ , he told himself. _Say something._

_Like what?_

_What do you mean? Look at her! She's clearly hurting about something._

_About Charlie?_

_No, about you not giving your waiter a big enough tip at the restaurant. YES, about Charlie!_

_What should I do about it? What should I say?_

_Maybe you don't need to SAY anything. Maybe you need to give her something else._

_Like what?_

_Play her the song._

_What song?_

_YOUR song, the one you've been working on for the past two months._

_It's not finished._

_She won't care._

_But-_

_If you really care about her as much as you say you do, play for her what you have._

_Last time I did that, I wasn't spoken to anymore._

_Jessica's not Cyndi. She's Jessica, and she's in dire need of comfort._

He saw her look down at the couch and he cleared his throat.

"Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Would you like to hear something I've been working on?"

She smiled. "Sure."

His heart was practically beating out of his chest as he fetched his guitar from the other room.

"It's not finished yet," he said as he gave the strings a quick tuning check.

"That's alright."

After a few moments of hesitation, he began playing a familiar melody. It was the same melody that he hated hearing whenever it played at Fredbear's: the goodbye song. Jessica also recognized it, having heard a very similar version of that song many times at Freddy's.

After the opening melody finished, he began to sing:

_"Once back in the old days,_

_We had no fears, only each other._

_And when we were lost in our own world,_

_There were no boundaries for this sister and brother."_

He played the familiar melody once more, this time with a few embellishments, before continuing.

_"But then we were torn apart_

_By time and by fate._

_How I wish that I could've been there,_

_But I came too late."_

He began playing an improvised section, sounding like an instrumental break. Jessica closed her eyes as he played, her mind filling with memories. She thought back to her childhood: the long, fun-filled days at Freddy's chasing Charlie around the restaurant, John rushing in to help, Marla being too busy eating to notice, and Michael watching them gleefully with his set of crayons drawing the scene before him as best as he could. She felt tears fall from her eyes as she heard Sam continue.

_"Though time has really been unkind_

_And we had to say goodbye,_

_Moving on won't be too easy_

_But I guess I'll have to try._

_And so, though I try hard not to cry_

_Until we meet again, I'll say goodbye."_

He finished with a final playthrough of the main melody before ending on an arpeggiated chord.

For a few solid minutes, there was nothing but silence between them. Jessica's eyes were still closed. Sam watched her, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. He recognized the silence and was anticipating what came next.

When Jessica finally opened her eyes, she saw Sam staring at her quietly, making her realize that he must've stopped playing a few minutes ago. She'd almost gotten lost in her memories.

Sam cleared his throat. "So...uh...what do you think?" he asked nervously, his mind racing with potential critiques. _Too short? Too long? Too deep?_

With no warning, she launched herself at him. Even after experiencing her hug attacks a few times, he still jumped back in surprise as she once again nearly crushed his lungs, burying her face into his shoulder.

"It's great," she said, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Really?" he asked, not sure he'd heard her right. "I mean...like I said, it's not done yet."

She pulled away and gazed at him, her nose a few inches from his own.

"I love it. It's deep, but relatable, especially coming from you. I know Charlie would certainly love it, too."

"Oh, well that's...wow." Sam felt himself slump back against the couch at a loss for words. While he was certainly glad he'd gotten a more positive response that he feared, he wasn't expecting to hear such praise from what was still a simple construction of chords and words. "I mean, thank you, I just didn't…"

"Didn't what?" asked Jessica, her eyes searching his face for an answer.

"I don't know. I didn't expect it to leave that much of an impact, being so simple."

"Sometimes the simple things tell the best stories," said Jessica, thinking back to the boy she'd once had a crush on in her trigonometry class, Donnie. She remembered telling Charlie about him, how his poems were so melodramatic. She remembered Charlie scolding her for running off the way she did with his poems still in her hand. She chuckled silently to herself. _That was so long ago_ , she thought sadly. _We've all changed so much._

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Kyle always tells me that I have the tendency to be too fancy sometimes."

Jessica huffed. "Well, you _could_ always add a heavy guitar solo in the middle of it."

"Really?"

"Of course! Just don't expect me to talk to you ever again, though, 'cause I'll never, ever, ever forgive you for ruining such a sweet song!"

They both busted out laughing, releasing all of the tension that had built up over the course of the night. They continued talking about life and their plans for the future for a little while longer. At one point, Jessica insisted on a guitar lesson, which proved to be rather fruitless given the size of her hands, but she laughed when he cracked a joke about her never needing to worry about retrieving the pick from inside a guitar.

Eventually, the clock struck eight and she announced that she needed to get going. With another hug, she made her way over to the door, giving one last wave goodbye as she closed the door behind her. For a few minutes, Sam continued staring at the door, mind absorbing everything that had just happened. Part of him wanted to argue that it was too deja vu, taking a young woman out to dinner at an Italian restaurant and then playing something he'd written from the heart. He had opened himself up once more. Would this end in tragedy and heartbreak like last time? He had no way of knowing. All he could do was hope. However, he felt that strange sense of comfort as he thought back to her smile. That hadn't happened last time. Something told him that things would be different this time. He found someone with whom he had a lot in common, and the fruit it produced was more joyful than he'd known before. He glanced at the pocket watch still sitting on the table and thought ahead to their next reunion in Hurricane.

 _I can't wait,_ he thought with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a suggestion by Chexpet, whose time, praise, and critiques I'm thankful for. It was recommended that I provide some insight into Sam and Kyle's post-trauma recovery like we saw with the other main characters in the novels as well as maybe make the truth about Charlie not a secret anymore.
> 
> As far as Sam's relationship with Jessica is concerned: when I began writing the main story, I had no intention of involving myself in any pairings since that wasn't really the point of the story, but as I continued developing Sam's character and detailing Jessica's coping with Charlie's absence, I began to consider just how strong of a relationship the two of them could potentially have. With Sam having to learn to push past his previous breakup and Jessica yearning for someone to help fill the gap in her life, I think they have a stronger connection than it might seem at first. I know some may not agree with a full relationship, but if nothing else, they definitely make great close friends, I'd say!
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoyed this little story, and as always, I'm open to any feedback. Take care!


End file.
